die in the Lord! Blessed are they who know whom they have believed, and when death comes can cheerfully rest their hopes on him who died that we might live! Mrs. D., saw reason to renounce her own goodness, as also all her sins, as to the point of acceptance before a holy God, and determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

serves the law of sin) we serve the law of God, because, when we thus look and believe in Jesus, we look and believe in the fulfilment of the law;' for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.' The cause, you say, that has in part hindered you from writing has been, 'I have, and do daily feel such coldness, deadness, darkness, and want of May the Lord's presence be with us in spirituality of mind, I often cry with that awful hour, then we shall bid adieu to David, 'my soul cleaveth to the dust, but all doubts and fears, and join the blood-quicken thou me, O Lord, according to thy bought throng in singing, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive glory and honour, and power, and riches for ever and ever.' Amen.

word,' therefore I cannot better express my
feelings than in these simple lines,-

My soul doth now in darkness mourn;
Thine absence, Lord, I grieve;
O when wilt thou again return?
My anxious mind relieve.
I long to feel thy pardoning love,
Melting my heart of stone;
My affections drawn to thee above,
Up to thy heavenly throne.

But O, so cold and dead I feel,

My soul to earth does cleave;
O come, dear Lord! thy love reveal,
And help me to believe.

I long to feel as I have done,

In days and years that's past;
When thou, dear Lord, was all my song,

And thou my sweet repast,

down under his shadow with great delight, and found him very sweet to the taste of my faith; but I have often been constrained of late to say, O that it was with me as in days that are past, when the candle of the Lord shone upon me.' Oh, my friend! what a mercy it is, that though we may change, and our love grow cold to our covenant God, yet he cannot change, nor his love grow cold towards us. He is of one mind concerning us, and that is, to save us through the blood and righteousness of Jesus; and none can turn him, not all our base sins, though they may at times cause him to withdraw the manifesItations of his love from our souls, and leave us to walk in the dark. You say you feel like those the prophet speaks of that is

MY DEAR FRIEND.-I received your kind letter, and will now embrace the opportunity to write to you a few lines in answer to it; you take shame to yourself for not writing before, but I think I ought to take more shame to myself, as you asked me when we parted the morning you left town to write to you, but this I never did, and yet, for all this, I am glad to find my dear Yes; I can look back to many past enfriend has not given me up. You say, if Ijoyments of my dear Lord, when I sat saw you as you are led to see yourself, I should not be surprised at your not writing, by this I understand that you are led to see yourself full of sin and iniquity; your heart sometimes seems to be hardened against God, and the things of God, and no mind to write or to speak on anything spiritual. Well, this is how I often see and feel myself to be, and can assure my friend, if he could see me as I really am, and as I am sometimes led to see myself, he would see nothing better than a walking hell-a monster of iniquity; and if he 'could look into the secret workings of my depraved, wicked, heart; I almost think he would not write me another letter. would not say this much to an ungodly man, nor to many professors, because I know they would not understand my mean- walking in darkness and having no light.' ing; they would suppose a man must live Well, then, my dear friend, I am bold to in all kinds of outward acts of sin, to be tell you from the same word, that you are such a base sinner; but I know my friend, not only one of God's beloved and chosen and every one that is led to see their in- people, but you are one of his called and bred depravity, and sinfulness of their own quickened people; the prophet first deheart, knows better. Yes; we daily find a scribes them as fearing the Lord and obeylaw in our members, warring against the ing the voice of his servant; this, no man law of our mind, and bringing us into cap-dead in sin ever did, nor ever will do, tivity to the law of sin which is in our none but those that are made alive to God members; and seeing and feeling these will ever fear the Lord, and obey the voice things makes us cry out, O wretched man of his servant, and if you never had light that I am, who shall deliver me from the and life imparted to your soul, you would body of this death! But when we are led never feel and mourn over your own darkby the Spirit to look off this body of sin ness; and to you and all that feel their own and death, and captivity in ourselves, and darkness, whether it be internal darkness look by faith unto that complete deliver- of soul, or darkness in providence, is the ance there is in Jesus, then we can say, latter part of the verse spoken, as an enwe thank God through Jesus Christ our couragement 'to trust in the name of the Lord; for when we look by faith unto Lord, and to stay upon their God.' You Jesus, (notwithstanding the old sinful flesh | say you do not find this very easy to put in

the same medium, especially as there had been so much dissatisfaction heard from many quarters concerning the affair; and when such errors are publicly made known, they certainly require a public refutation, for the general satisfaction of the church, and readers of the Vessel. He that publicly errs before all, (and it was before all the congregation and readers of the Vessel) should be rebuked before all. A private letter was then not sufficient.

My zeal may sometimes burn beyond prudence. We are all fallible. But errors like these must not be passed by. And whatever you may see wrong in my reply bring it to the light of God's word. Bring my errors out, let the elders in Zion stone them to death publicly in the gate. And then, no doubt, there would be some crying out, rashness! rashness! It is done rashly! Thus when any of our errors are brought

practice; I don't think you do in and of yourself; but when the Lord the Spirit shall send it home with power to your soul, then you will find it very easy; for he confirmeth his word unto his servants, whereon he causeth them to hope. I have no doubt the Lord has made this blessed portion of his word a prop to many of his people, (when walking in darkness, and neither sun nor stars, for many days appeared, and no small tempest in their soul, and all hope of their being saved seem to be gone,) by bringing of it home with power to their souls, and enabling them to trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon their God. But why are we told 'to trust in the name of the Lord,' and not in the Lord? for, in other places it is said, 'trust ye in the Lord for ever.' Why, to me there is something very blessed in it. When we compare scripture with scripture, it appears to me to point out God as a God in cove-out to be stoned to death publicly in the nant relationship to his people, pledging his eternal verity for their salvation, and possessing all wisdom and power to accomplish all his promises concerning them. If you will turn to the third chapter of Exodus, you will find when the Lord sent Moses into Egypt to deliver the children of Israel, Moses wanted to know when he was asked what his name was, what he should say unto them; and the Lord very blessedly told him- and God said unto Moses, I AM that I AM; thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, this shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your Fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you. This is my name for ever; and this is my memorial unto all generations. Yes; and a blessed name it is; for a triune God stands engaged by oath and by promise, for the eternal salvation and deliverance of all the spiritual seed of Abraham, although they may, like their old father, at times, walk in darkness, and have no light; yet this is the name they must trust in, for he will surely perform all his promises concerning them: he will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight, these things he will do for them, and not forsake them.

ANSWER TO MR HALL'S LETTER

Concerning Mr. Milner and Mr. Meeres.

YES, Mr. Hall, so far as I am able to judge I was sincere in my principles, in writing that which I did concerning the Ordination Service of Mr. Meeres, and I now see nothing particularly wrong in my remarks. True, my dear brother, (for I perceive you are such,) it is scriptural and right to first speak or write to the erring party. But as the mistakes of those ministers were made public in the magazine, it really appeared most practicable to answer them through

gate, the parent of the rebellious child, (our poor proud flesh) generally cries out for its own offspring; and some standers-by will say the same as you have done of this error, O, it was only a little one; and that such conduct is rashness. But, remember, my dear brother, that king Saul was expelled from his kingdom for sparing the bleating cattle and king Agag. And, beside, if we spare little foxes, they will grow to great ones, and little errors of ours, (these little Babylonians) will grow to great kings, like Agag, and conquer us, if we do not conquer them when young.

You say that I should first have written to Mr. Milner. I acknowledge the justness of your argument, had the case been different. But should not friend Milner have been first to correct his error himself, if conscious of it, and had seen it in public print? And if he, or Mr. Meeres had done this, the noise would have immediately ceased. They might be sure if they did not take up these little evil brats, that some other person would have them taken up, and publicly stoned to death- And happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth these little ones against the stones.' Ps. cxxxvii. 9. Therefore, I cannot see that either 'Theophilus Celetus,' or myself have done much wrong in this case; and what evil little ones you may see of ours, serve them the same, and happy shall ye be; 'so shall ye put away evil from among you.'

Hearing the murmurs of many, and seeing the evil, I felt a zeal rising up in me for the truth, and against the errors, and, indeed, a zeal for our Vessel, I did not

like to hear it calumniated on account of those things, so I sat down and wrote, and sent it off there and then; and I do not repent for writing against the error, for I did not consider them little ones, if you did. But if I have offended any of the Lord's little ones, or wounded the souls of brethren, I do sincerely repent for that, and ask forgiveness. As I said before, I have always heard a good report of friend Milner, as a minister of the glorious gospel of Christ, therefore, did not do it wantonly

or maliciously, to injure his mind or repu-
tation in the gospel; but was sorry to see
such words of his recorded. But if Mr.
Milner and Mr. Meeres, are the beloved
and called of the Lord, according to his
purpose, all these things will work together
for good; make me careful of what I say,
and what they say and preach in future.
Nevertheless I still consider Mr. Meeres's
but a vague account, and if he had but half
an hour, he should have made the best of
his time; but perhaps he is young; and
time may more fully shew us the best is to
come; and if he is called by love, and called
to preach, I would not hurt a hair of his
head, but wish him God speed.
Brother Hall, I fully agree with you in
much of your statement, concerning a
brother falling under the power of tempta-
tion. In these sad days if a brother falls,
there appears to be a shout in the camp,
and a determination to crush him, and
sink him, rather than help and comfort
such an one, lest he should be swallowed up
with overmuch sorrow. This, I trust is
not the mind or spirit that is desired should
move the Vessel. No, no; there have been
too much of that in contemporaries already.
Doubtless, if poor fallen David, or Lot, or
Peter were living in these days, and gave
the most manifest account of their repent-
ance and restoration by marvellous mercy,
many ministers and congregations would
deny them their pulpits, and say they never
ought to preach again, although they will
now preach from David's Psalms and Pe-
ter's Epistles. But, brother Hall must con-
sider that there is a wide difference be-
tween a brother fallen into sin, suddenly,
by temptation, and a man standing up in
high and holy places, preaching error. The
former, if true repentance is manifest,
should be restored and comforted; the lat-
ter if not confessed and retracted, should
be rebuked sharply that they may be
sound in the faith. Nevertheless, I am
willing to believe it was a slip of the tongue
with brother Milner, only as he followed it
up with unwarrantable expressions, it
had a bad appearance with many; and he
well knows that truth, holy truth is too
precious to be sacrificed on the altar of
error, or human infirmity.

And now friend Hall, to conclude, I will assure you that I should be sorry to injure the mind, reputation or influence of any of the Lord's ministers or little ones; neither did I intentionally write for that purpose. But certainly our brother Milner laid himself open to animadversion, and certainly must be as much to blame as we who took the matter up to correct it, especially as he did not correct himself. I tell you what, my brother, we are all to blame; may we be humbled enough to confess our faults one to another, and amonish one another in love; for we can only be found right in Christ, and blameless before God in love. There let the matter rest.

Your's sincerely,

OLD SINCERITY.

VERSES WRITTEN AFTER READING AN
ARTICLE IN THE DECEMBER NUMBER,

HEADED

"What is His Name?"

"Let all things be done unto edifying."-1 Cor. xiv. 26.

Well! what is his name, but the name of a man?
We cannot make more of it, try what we can;
But whether 'tis Peter, or Andrew, or 'John,'
care not! the reason I'll tell you anon.
Add Bunyan' to 'John, it will still be the same;
Tho' th' former I own is a wonderful name)
For whether 'tis 'John,' or 'John Bunyan' together,
Is as little to me as the weight of a feather.

If to these two names should be added M'Cure,'
By which his identity we can ensure:
I'm still as indifferent (as doubtless are many)
if he has got three names, or has not got any.
After all he has told us, his is not the name
To eclipse those enroll'd in the annals of fame,
Who shone in the church, who their memory love,
And who now are shining in regions above!
But yet I rejoice to know that my brother,
Besides his three names possesses another;
A new one, and one that shall ever remain,
And which thro' eternity he shall retain.
Now dear Mr. Editor, pray do not blame,
(Though I have apparently slighted his name,)
And wishing to hear one much dearer to me.
If I am regardless of what his may be,
Well! What is HIS name, and the name of IIIS
which now my attention is settled upon:
Son,'*
Surpassing all names of both angels and men,
And which I'll exalt with my tongue and my pen?
Blest Spirit of wisdom my verses indite!
And guide me while writing, if good in thy sight,
The praise of Jehovah the Father to sing,
While humbly adoring my heavenly king!
His glorious perfections-Amazing !-profound!
Are an ocean too deep for my plummet to sound:
With rev'rence I hear what the Scriptures declare,
But, of full comprehension of God I despair.
Yet in Jesus, His Son, his perfections I trace,
His justice and holiness, mercy and grace;
In Him and Him only, resplendent they shine,
And a glimpse of them there, fully prove them divine.
Then Jesus I love! for in him I behold
The Love of the Father most sweetly unfold;
In giving his saints unto Jesus their head,
And in giving them Jesus to die in their stead.

In Christ I discover the Justice of God,
Which flaming, could only be quench'd by our blood;

or the blood of a surety, so He in His grace,
Did carry our sorrows, and die in our place.
In Him I can see how the Father is just,
Yet justifies sinners who in him can trust;
How mercy can pardon the wretch who rebels,
And grace brings him safe to where happiness dwells.
His name then I value, I love and adore,
So precious it is to the weak and the poor;
That I think that his ministers should make it known
In pref'rence to telling the church of their own!
Then pray, Mr. Editor, let me include
Yourself in my verses; may you be endued
With wisdom and caution your " VESSEL to fill
With that which will profit,

Yours truly,

* Proverbs xxx. 4.

GOODWILL.

of love divine. While a man's face is towards hell, and instead of attracting his eye, and turning him round, you fall to driving him, the greater the power by which he is impelled, the further he hastens to the point before him; and if unprevented by sovereign grace, extended to his heart through Christ Jesus, he will pursue his course, according to the ruling principle of his own mind, until he arrives at that gloomy dwelling where hope never comes!

that but slightly heard the thunder at Sinai, and tarried not in the smoke, nor saw much of the awful lightning, but was by speedy steps hastened forward to Zion and Calvary; he also is saved into an enjoyment of redeeming love, and takes his seat at the foot of the cross with his brother, who, as well as himself, finds his home and his happiness in the Lamb that was slain, to redeem the elect unto God. Now, why should these brethren fall out, because they have been brought in different ways, as to the dealings of God with their souls, in the degree of fear experienced, of sufferings endured, or enjoyments granted? Rather let such unite to sing of sovereign grace, that brings its favourites near in different manners, the more to shew that the work is of God, and is done altogether as he hath pleased. It is true that in the manner of conversion of these brethren, we find some difference; but in essential points and things that must testify the saving nature of their conversion they are agreed. They both believe the doc trines of Christ, and that the law in its requisitions, extends to the inmost powers of man; that nature is in a state of vileness and death through transgression; that mankind are as weak as they are wicked, and as unworthy as they are vile and frail; that the law against which we have all offended is irrepealable and inexorable; that without perfect righteousness no man can be justified; that a sinner can never perform such righteous

True religion is the reign of love, and all its subjects are sons of freedom. Nothing will cast out servile fear, which hath torment, but the manifestation of the love of God in Christ Jesus, as our law-fulfiller, by the Holy Ghost. It has too often been the manner of good men to insist upon certain degrees of terror, as essential to the evidencing of a gracious state. To this they have been led by a wrong use made of their own experience. Suppose one man is shook over hell, as some express the matter, and feels the wrath of God to that degree that he cannot rest; and is so distressed that he is ready to choose strangling rather than life, and so sensible of divine anger that he is afraid to die, and falls to wishing he had never been born; it does not follow that every child of God must needs be exercised this way. I am well assured that neither the great degree of terror, nor the great length of its continuance, will prove anything satisfactorily as to the state of any man; except it be this, that such a sufferer must be a sin-ness; that Jesus Christ has finished a ner. By imprudent affirmations on this subject, many of God's elect have been perplexed, and made sad without real cause. And we find, by observation, that while one is tempted to conclude that he is no Christian, because he has not felt all that terror which he has heard some notable character speak of, as having been his experience; another is tempted to think that he is deceiving himself, because he has not experienced the liberating power of divine love upon his mind, as he hears some of his friends declare they have; though with respect to terror he is fully satisfied, that of that he has had as much as he could well sustain.

Now, God is a sovereign, and he will call his people as he hath pleased to determine. He that is brought through a raging tempest is found at Calvary, and gazes with serenity and pleasure on his crucified surety and deliverer! And he

perfect righteousness, and is therefore the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth; that this righteousness is well-pleasing to God, and is imputed to all the elect in Christ their head; that it is received by faith and yields peace to the conscience; that the Holy Ghost has witnessed to its justifying virtue, and seals remission on the hearts of all the sons and daughters of God Almighty; that Christ is the head of all vital influence, and the source of true sanctification to all his members; that regeneration and conversion are of God, and not of man; that he who is converted is dead to the law, as a rule of justification; that he shall not come into condemnation, but shall hold on in the life and walk of faith, and finally inherit the kingdom of God. Now, as these, with other relative points, are believed and enjoyed by those brethren who arrive